a little lady...

i have had this little lady cut up and sitting in my 'to do' pile for the last 6 months. on the weekend i got a burst of energy and inspiration and finished her off in about 20 minutes... makes me wonder what else i have lurking in that pile!

p.s - dress is made from vintage fabric that was swapped in round one... if you would like to join the sheet swap for round three and make your own little lady pop over here to sign up

p.p.s - thanks for all your lovely comments on this post. it is always a bit scary sharing yourself!

thrifted...

found a few treasures last week... it was one of those thrifting trips where everything i brought home i LOVED! im still trying to decide whether to use that gorgeous basket for sewing of picnicking. what a lovely problem to have...

p.s - vintage sheet swaps sign ups over here. if you have already signed up you should have received an email from me... please let me know if it hasnt arrived!

this weekend...

. : pancakes were eaten for lunch
. : two loads of washing got done and is currently hanging on furniture around our house
. : a girly craft night was had that turned into a channing tatum movie marathon night
. : another bed was added to our vegie garden
. : a few hours were spent in the vegie garden trying to control the damage done from the crazy rain we have had this past week
. : thai was eaten for dinner
. : organisation started to happen
. : the last of the tomatoes were picked and made in to last batch of pasta sauce
. : treasures were found (more tomorrow)
. : new girl was watched
. : capsicum seeds were saved
. : fat quarters for the swap were cut
. : cinnamon scrolls were made with love and eaten with gusto
. : dinner was eaten that was almost entirely made of things we had grown

...was wonderful - a lovely productive home weekend! hope your weekend has left you relaxed and prepared for the week ahead...

xx

thanks australia...

a public holiday in the first week of students was such a blessing. parents disagree with me but let me tell you... the teachers needed it. well this teacher did anyway!

i had a list a mile long of things to get through like mopping the floors, planning classes and cleaning the shower - you know... fun stuff! after a mini breakdown in the morning husband stepped in and told me that we were leaving the to do list at home and we were going out. it was just what i needed. a day of family, friends and fun. and before we left... he helped me mop the floors! pretty great huh?

p.s - vintage sheet swap sign ups over here

hi.

it was recently brought to my attention that my blog has surprisingly few photos of me. this is not intentional... i guess i figure that op shops, a good book and vintage florals are more interesting than the everyday crazy that my life is made up of (and the fact that i always look horrible in photos)!

my favourite blogs are the ones where you can really get to know the person behind the blog and one of the best things that has come out of blogging has been the awesome people i have met and the sneak peeks into their lives...

so... in the spirit of new beginnings here are a few random facts about me and my world :)

*i have only had one panadol in the last 6 years! it's one of my completely stubborn and often irrational quirks where i refuse to take any painkillers but i will happily drink two cups of coffee a day (although i am trying to stop this coffee habit)

*i like words more than numbers (unless they are of the fill a bag for ONE dollar kind! haha!).

*i will almost always pull a face in photos (as evidenced by the top photo.. haha)! i justify this by arguing that i would rather look bad on purpose than try to look nice and still end up looking like some sort of stoned weirdo (ahem... like the gorgeous lady on the left of the top photo - love you mum)!

*i love feet. love them.

*i often wish that i was one of those strong, silent, graceful ladylike types. instead i am loud and obnoxious and burp really loudly!

*i have watched every episode of 'friends' at least 6 times each! season 5 is the best :)

*i feel really sad and personally insulted when i hear people say that they hate reading

*i swing wildly between wanting to cut my hair really short into a funky little pixie crop and dogged persistence to keep growing it (i have been growing it for the past 6 years... not that you would really be able to tell... haha)!

*i have an excessive amount of vintage baby clothes for someone who does not have any babies on the horizion! it often crosses my mind that i might be jinxing myself and the assumptions i make about the future status of my womb will result with an empty one!

*if i was going to be a character in a book i would want to be alice or lucy pevensie 

p.s - have a happy day off my australian friends :)

p.p.s - vintage sheet swap info and sign ups over here!

on how to use up washi tape...

i have an obscene amount of washi tape from tripping to japan and hours spent on etsy so i decided that it was time to start using it instead of looking at sitting in a glass jar on my desk (don't worry - i still have enough for this to happen). i started with this little graduation present to a lovely lady. i grabbed an old milo tin, removed the wrapped and used washi tape to pretty it up a little bit. The result - a pretty tin full of goodies and a little less wastage!

p.s - sheet swap sign up over here.

beginnings

. : finally getting around to making our living room a place that we want to spend time in

. : new job. new school. new students. new challenges. new rewards.

. : planning for an adventure in france. and hopefully another one in new york.

. : feeling like i'm growing up (note that i am not a grown-up. there is a difference.)

. : being kind to myself

. : a return to my morning green tea ritual

. : unlikely friendships

am feeling a season of change in my life. scary. yet incredibly exciting.

a handmade christmas.

i know. this is a very belated christmas post.

bt i wanted to share with you a few of the goodies i made for the 'handmade christmas' task i set myself. somehow in the middle of last minute christmas morning sewing and presents being frantically wrapped i missed out on taking photos of the majority of gifts. it was lots of fun making up granola, soap, lip balms, heat packs and softies but i think that next year i'll get started a bit earlier and maybe cut myself a bit of slack and work up the courage to brave the shops at christmas time... or just embrace online shopping!

1. a picnic blanket for my sister-in-law (made with some of the FQs i got in the last swap!)
2&3. fabric letters for a lovely niece
4. vintage pink folrals for a lovely new baby
5. frankie posters make pretty wrapping paper :)

p.s - dont forget to sign up to the vintage sheet FQ swap over here. spread the word!

vintage sheet FQ swap 3.0

...it's here. again.

thanks so much for all your feedback, emails and lovely comments about the first few vintage sheet swaps that were hosted in 2011.

i love being able to be a little part in such a fun swap and see what you all create with the fabrics you receive. it is truly inspiring!

there is something about a new year that leaves you with so many plans and ideas to make and create! so much promise and potential. it's time like these that you need some new vintage fabrics to keep that new years inspiration rolling out well into the year!

alright. here goes.

What you need to do... if you are keen to be involved in this swap then just leave a comment on this post indicating your interest with your EMAIL ADDRESS (this makes it a lot easier for me)! Alternatively, you can email me at greenteaandrednails (at) hotmail (dot) com and let me know that way.

As people sign up for the swap I will send out all the necessary information via email to participants.

The time frame... Please have your vintage sheets washed, cut into FQ's and posted no later than the end of February (Wednesday the 29th). This should give you plenty of time to scout your local oppies for lovely sheets to cut and swap. I will attempt to have them back in the post within two weeks and you should receive your new stash of vintage fabric sometime mid March ready for autumn crafting!

Sign ups... I am happy to take sign ups until the end of February as long as you can meet the postage deadline. Please make sure that you have your FQ's in the mail by the cut off date.

Spread the word... the more people we have involved in this, the more variety you will receive in your vintage FQ's. Feel free to blog about this and save the above image to use as a button for this swap... just make sure you are linking back to this post.

How the swap will work... it is up to you how many fat quarters you want to contribute to the swap. The number of FQ's you send to me will be the number that you receive back. Once you have collected your fabulous sheets and cut them up into fat quarters you will need to place your washed, cut up sheets into a pre-paid parcel post satchel (available at the post office in 500g and 3kg varietys). You should be able to fit about 15 FQs in a 500g satchel and 50+ in the 3kg satchel. you MUST also include a self-addresses pre-paid post satchel in your parcel to me for me to mail your new vintage loveliness to you (a little hint - some poeple send an self-addressed express post parcel for the return FQs so that they get them ASAP and the parcel can be tracked).

A few more things... (PLEASE READ)
*sheets must be washed prior to being sent

*feel free to send as many FQs as you would like (multiple parcels are okay as long as they are clearly labelled)

*it really is much easier when people send their FQ's in the prepaid post satchels. MUCH EASIER!
*this swap is for AUSTRALIAN residents only (sorry to my other readers - it is just easier for postage)
*your fat quarters should measure approx 50cm x 56cm
*ensure your fat quarters are free from marks, rips and stains. only send sheets that you would want to receive (i reserve the right to return to you any sheets you send which do not meet this quality standard)

*this swap is not designed for you to simply get rid of any sheets or FQs that you don't want, like or use.

*only COTTON or COTTON BLEND sheets please (nothing flannelette or polyester - thanks!)
*it is more than okay for you to send multiple fat quarters from the one sheet!!
*please do not send any sheets with cartoon characters, kids sheets or any solid colours.

I will be updating all the swap participants through email and through this blog so stay tuned! i am so excited for this (again!)... I do hope that you will join me!

woohoo! KEL xx

p.s - feel free to ask any questions that you have in the comments section of this post...

in this moment.

(*)

reading... 'the picture of dorian gray' by oscar wilde

excited about... a few little concerts coming up. we are off to see the paper kites and matt corby

ordering... ranunculus bulbs for an almost ready garden bed

planning... a few camping weekends away

watching... new girl. so much goodness. even my little brother said that it was his new favourite show!

dreaming about... paris.

baking... lots of bread. i think i am slowly perfecting my favourite loaf

feeling... nervous and excited about meeting all my new kiddies next week :) got to love the crazy of a new school year!

wanting... green jeans

grateful for... a little brother who sanded and sealed our deck ready for outdoor picnics

loving... having our puppies back after holidays

collecting... baskets full of ripe tomatoes from a dying vegie garden

what is happening in your moments?





thrifted.

some treasures found over the last few weeks of holidaying...

i hope you have been lucky at the op shops too :) stay tuned for an announcement of the vintage sheet variety next week!!

the calm before the crazy.

i have had beautiful summer holidays that finished with five fabulous days camping on fraser island. it is such a magical place and we spent our days walking, swimming, flying kites and playing scrabble. it was very hard to come home. and back to work. i have started another school year at yet another school. im looking forward to settling here for a few years but for now, im still trying to recapture some of that fraser magic and smiling every time i reach down to scratch those last few mozzie bites on my ankles... :)

p.s - that very average meal you see in the pictures is how hubby and i celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary - complete with citronella candlelight!

13 in 2012

goals seem more real if you write them down. there is something about getting them out there that makes me feel a bit more accountable and a bit more motivated. i have been so inspired from reading some of the lists that are floating around out there and have decided to share mine! some are a little silly and some are serious steps toward the simple, healthy and earth-friendly life i'm looking for...

1. have a harry potter movie marathon
2. sew myself a dress
3. plant a wildflower patch
4. complete the oxfam trailwalker
5. be present
6. open an etsy shop
7. print a book of my instagram photos
8. learn to crochet a granny square
9. grow as many of our fruit and vegies as we can and buy the rest from the local farmers markets
10. use reusable bags
11. make a teepee
12. get some chickens... finally!
13. organise our outdoor space so it is both human and puppy friendly. next summer im planning on lazy outdoor dinners and lots of bbqs.
what are your goals for 2012?? leave me a link in the comments and i'll pop over and have a look!

*this list started as 12 but i kept thinking of more things to do in 2012. at one stage it got up to 15 but in the spirit of simplifying i managed to get it back down to 13 :)